Buoys are flotation members configured to designate a particular location in a body of water or on a water surface. Buoys are used in both oceans and lakes for a variety of designation purposes. One particular type of a buoy is used on lakes to designate various hazards and/or water ski courses. Conventional lake or fresh water buoys are inflated members filled with compressed air so as to create sufficient buoyancy. The weight of the buoy causes a gravitational sinking force which is balanced by the inherent buoyancy properties of the compressed air contained within the buoy shell. The balance between buoyancy and weight causes the buoy to partially float above the water, thereby allowing for visual designation of a particular location on a water surface.
One of the problems with traditional buoys is the danger posed to water skiers upon impact. Certain water skiing competitions require participants to encircle a course designated with a series of buoys. In order to optimize performance, participants generally steer their water skis within close proximity of the buoys at high speeds. Therefore, it is common for water skiers to impact a buoy with their ski during competition. Upon impact, conventional inflated buoys affect the water skier by either deflecting and/or elevating the trajectory of the water ski. At high speeds, the inflated buoy is submerged but the buoyancy forces are transferred to the water ski, thereby causing the trajectory affects. Unfortunately, at high speeds, this may include elevating the water skier above the water surface and subsequently causing a high force impact when the water skier descends back to the water surface. The subsequent high force impact may result in damage to one or both of the water skier's ankles or feet in the form of sprains or breaks.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a buoy that is capable of designating visual surface positions on a body of water without causing injury to a water skier as a result of high speed impact.